Hayden states that one of the best ways to gain a better understanding of maintenance spending and help uncover and acquire savings is through the implementation of benchmarks.

He notes that a good maintenance benchmark program will allow you to assess various aspects of your operations in relation to similar organizations, as well as industry best practices.

Hayden adds that when you implement a maintenance benchmark program, you will quickly learn if the level of your maintenance spending is on par with the quality level — perceived and real — of your facility and the expectations of your tenants.

According to Hayden, a successful program with actionable benchmarks will do more than just identify areas where you can improve your facility operation; it will also give facility maintenance a seat at the executive management table and elevate it to a more strategic level.

FacilitySource (www.facilitysource.com), the leading facility maintenance and management service provider, has a wide variety of customers, including retailers, shopping centers, restaurants, auto parts stores and other companies with geographically disperse real estate portfolios. With more than 50,000 locations served and a database of more than 10,000 vendors, FacilitySource provides web-based transaction management software, vendor management and research, statistical analysis and reporting and paperless invoicing.